Letting Go of the Past – Ecclesiastes 7:10

Letting Go of the Past – Ecclesiastes 7:10 
This past weekend, we took Ezra down to my grandmother's house in Lexington to introduce him to my side of the family. While we were there, I took a stroll down memory lane. I looked through photos from my childhood, my dad's childhood, and even my grandfather's childhood. As we drove through town, I pointed out various locations- the LHS band field, the courthouse, the street I used to live on, etc-  and the memories associated with them. I'm sure Cheyenne is sick of hearing these tales, but it's hard to suppress those feelings of nostalgia when I visit home, which is becoming more and more rare.  
After graduating from UTM in 2022, I moved back home to take on a ministry role at a church in Lexington. Even though I was living with some friends and not with my parents, there was a level of comfort and complacency that came with living and working in my hometown. Many times, it was very difficult to break out of my comfort zone and take the steps necessary to grow emotionally, spiritually, and professionally.
Why is this? How can nostalgia, if not kept in check, become a trap for complacency? The answer can be found in Ecclesiastes 7:10:

“Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.”

Does this mean that nostalgia is a sin? Not necessarily. After all, this verse is wisdom, not a command or a law. Nostalgia may not be an outright sin, but, like all things, it can LEAD to sin if we make the past into an idol and allow it to cloud our judgement. This is why Solomon suggests that excessive nostalgia, although not sinful, is unwise.
As I mentioned, nostalgia became a stumbling block in those first 2 years of my ministry journey. In my current season of being a new father and husband, one thing I've had to keep in check is my time spent playing video games. I don't think I've picked up my Xbox in almost a month, but I typically play many of the same games I played when I was a teenager, some of which I've had to cut out entirely. Why? Because I found myself trying to re-capture feelings and experiences that were long gone and were not helping me in my walk with Christ. As 1 Corinthians 10:23 says,  

"All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up."
 
This applies to nostalgic activities too: they can be enriching, but they can also cause us to take our eyes off of what God is doing in our lives now. Satan would love nothing more than for us to take our eyes off of Christ's leading and to retract from the world, especially with all of the chaos going on in today's world. 
But, as Jesus says, we are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:15-16), because we are the light of the world; and a light does no good when it's put under a basket (Matthew 5:14-16).  
As we look to the past, may we guard ourselves from idolatry. May we remember not just our good memories, but the Lord's faithfulness. As we do so, may we look up to the Lord and recognize the work that He is doing now, even in the midst of our chaotic world.  
As we look to His faithfulness and His sovereign work now, may that inspire us to shine our lights in a society full of darkness and share the good news of Jesus Christ!  
 
To God be the Glory, 
Bro. Casey Stanfill